


Dust On Your Hands

by Mirimage



Series: Saviour or Murderer [1]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Genocide Route Frisk (Undertale), Kinda dark?, Monster Dust (Undertale), Undertale Genocide Route, dw it has a vaguely happy ending, its genocide route though so kinda to be expected, lots of that oof
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-14
Updated: 2019-06-19
Packaged: 2020-05-07 10:06:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,761
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19207180
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mirimage/pseuds/Mirimage
Summary: Long ago, a human fell into the Underground. Monsters fell before their hands, and somewhere far away the world shook as its final breath drew nearer.





	1. Disbelief Is A Terrible Thing

**Author's Note:**

> So this is just gonna be a couple of short stories/scenes, each focusing on a specific character and their experiences during the genocide run. Hope you like!

She hadn't thought it would end like this.

Standing in front of her bulk, the human was frighteningly small. Clutched in their hand was a small toy knife, and it would look comical if not for the dust clinging to the plastic blade and spattered up their forearms. But surely, _surely_ , there had to be some kind of mistake...? 

She could feel their soul singing with rage, an overwhelming call of _freedom_ _freedom_ _freedom_ _LET ME **GO**_.

"You want to leave so badly? Hmph. You are just like the others. There is only one solution to this. Prove yourself... Prove to me you are strong enough to survive."

She felt the stutter as their souls were launched into a fight. 

**_Toriel blocks the way._ **

She steadied her stance, and threw a wave of fire. The magic flamed only weakly; without true intent to injure the human was able to leap over the attack with ease. They lunged forwards in turn, missing only by a fraction. Toriel's eyes widened. Surely they hadn't meant to swipe with such ferocity? She sent a twisting stream of fireballs back at them, watching as they weaved their way closer. Missing again, barely, _barely_ , Toriel could feel their intent, a dark bubbling fury that hung heavy in the stale air. Her disbelief wavered in the face of such anger, such vicious hatred, coalesced in her direction. She hesitated slightly before raising her paws. As she threw her arms wide with a flame spell the human dodged, neatly avoiding the fire but crashing into her paw and ticking their HP downwards. Inhaling sharply, Toriel covered her mouth in horror and dropped the attack.

This was her last mistake.

The human stood, shaking off the ash of fire magic, and darted forwards. With an audible _crack_ , Toriel felt her HP drop. There was a brief second when she didn't realise it, when she wondered why the human had suddenly stopped, before a white-hot flash of lancing pain pierced her to her very soul. Leaking blood, dust, and spilt magic over her robes, Toriel fell to the ground in a sudden lurch. Absently she noted that even on her knee she was still taller than the human. They were so small...

"Y... you... really hate me that much?" She coughed, blood dripping from the corner of her mouth. "Now I see who I was protecting by keeping you there. Not you... But them! Ha... ha... _"_

She felt her soul beat  _hard_  in her chest, shaking as if it would break apart.

The last thing she saw was a flash of red and an achingly familiar smile.

Then, nothing.

* * *

The human smiled. They idly scuffed a foot through the dust, ignoring the screaming in their soul.

As they made their way through the archway, their soul pinged with an encounter. 

**_But no one came._ **

 


	2. Liquid Determination

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Undyne the Undying steps up to strike the human down

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Forgot to say last time, but the dialogue is taken from the game. I don't own it, not the characters!

Undyne had seen the piles of dust scattered around Waterfall. She knew what the human was capable of. She didn't know if she had the power to withstand their intent, but in that moment it didn't matter. The world had closed in and her only thought was to _save the kid._

The blow struck her HP down to zero.  

"Undyne... You're... You're hurt..." The little monster's quavery voice broke through the pain. He sounded so scared, the reality of the situation hitting him all at once. She forced a laugh. "Hurt? It's nothing." As she coughed, her entire body trembled. "I'll take care of this, get out of here!" The kid took a few steps backwards, hesitating, looking back before he fled. "Heh, 'It's nothing'..." Undyne turned towards the small human, clad in an old pink tutu. It did nothing to detract from the horror of the dust encrusting their skin. 

"This isn't just about monsters anymore, is it? If you get past me, you'll... You'll destroy them all, won't you?" The human smiled, unnaturally wide, and tilted their head. They looked... twisted. Neither monster, nor human, the creature in front of her radiated an aura of killing intent. 

"Human. No, whatever you are. For the sake of the whole world... I will strike you down."

She was shaking, her body splitting apart. But deep inside, her soul burned.

_I_

_WILL_

_NOT_

**_DIE_ **

The wind was howling. She gritted her teeth and smiled. “You’re gonna have to try a little harder than _that_.”

The human's soul lit up green. Pinned in place, they growled, looking strangely unconcerned. Undyne's magic flared. A devastating flurry of darting arrows rose, and the human snatched one from the air and spun it in a neat circle to deflect the rest of the attack. Undyne felt a brief flash of annoyance, before they were lunging forwards with their spear. She didn't bother dodging. The strike chipped away at her HP, sending dust and magic spiralling to the floor, but she barely noticed. The next swell had them dancing to avoid hits, and they scowled through narrowed eyes as one clipped their arm. 

The human's soul pinged red and they stumbled at the sudden release. In their moment of distraction, Undyne threw a wave of spears to encircle them. The human jumped, and for the first time panic flashed in their eyes as a spear rose to meet them. Blood splattered across the stones, and their soul shattered. Undyne panted. She stared at the body. They were... dead?

Her soul shuddered. 

_the_

_world_

_**l u r c h e d**  -_

-and the human dodged.

Undyne stepped back, blinking. Hadn’t they just-? The human's perpetual smile widened, and they darted forwards. Their hits were shearing off HP in the thousands, and it was finally starting to take effect. Undyne felt at the pull on her soul as the human checked her stats. She didn't have to look herself to feel the points ticking off, crumbling into dust with every second she stood against them. 

The pain was blinding. She knew that monsters weren't supposed to be able to do this, that this power, this  _determination_ , to persist after death belonged to humans. Yet, she couldn't find it in herself to care. All that mattered was this single fight. As long as she stood, Alphys had time to evacuate the rest of the Underground. She felt sweat tricking into her eye but when she reached up to wipe it away her hand was smeared with dust.

Undyne felt the human still before she noticed her own injuries. "Damn it... So even with that power..." Her magic gone, Undyne felt her resolve finally decay. "It wasn't enough...?"

Her rallying thought was of the remaining citizens of Hotlands and the Capital, hopefully hidden away by now. Alphys would keep them safe.

"Alphys told me that she would watch me fight you..." Undyne was suddenly desperate to stall the human for as long as possible, even as her hand started to drip. "And if anything went wrong, she would... evacuate everyone. By now she's called Asgore and told him to absorb the six human souls."

Her grip on reality splintered, body melting under the force of the human's onslaught and her own raw determination. 

"And with that power..."

Undyne's form was collapsing, but she forced it to stabilise for a final few seconds. Her last thought was of Alphys.

"This world will live on!"

* * *

The human looked at the mess on the ground with disdain. At least this one had been interesting.

They stepped through the dust, and it clung to their feet as they went.

Waterfall echoed with the faint drip of water. An all-consuming, oppressive silence reigned. There was no one left to challenge them. 

The human smiled.


	3. Fight or Flight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alphys orders an evacuation of the remaining Underground as the human defeats Undyne and advances past Waterfall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter was particularly inspired by Man on the Internet's Undertale musical Genocide package, particularly the song Evacuation.

The coffee in the cup had long since cooled by the time Alphys had let it slip from her grasp. 

When Undyne first threw herself in front of the human’s strike, Alphys had called for an evacuation. She had since seen a steady stream of monsters through her lab, taking the elevator downwards. She didn’t know what they’d find down there, but it was better than dying at the hands of the human. She had sent Mettaton out to gather up any stragglers, though she knew he wouldn't be able to find them all. No one knew Hotlands like she did, but... She couldn’t leave. Not yet. Not until—

Not until now, when Undyne had finally fallen before the human’s determination. Tears streaked their way down her face as she hurriedly threw together the final preparations. She had sent a message to Asgore, but didn't know if it went through. Behind her, Mettaton put a hand on her shoulder. He was uncharacteristically quiet. His screen only showed a cartoon sad face, but she could feel his soul thrumming with the fear and despair that suffused the entire Underground.

"I'll delay them here, and then wait at the end of the Core." He said, robotic voice echoing in the empty silence. "The Royal Guards might stop them, but..." He let his sentence trail off, unwilling to voice what they both knew.

"Well, at least those anti-human combat features might finally come in handy." The attempt at humour fell flat as the cameras beeped, warning them of the human's approach.

Alphys flinched at the noise, loud in the silence. As the human took their first steps into Hotlands, she activated the last puzzle, though she had a feeling it wouldn’t delay them. The puzzles in Snowdin and Waterfall had somehow been shut down.

She turned to Mettaton, the ghost in a robot body that she had created, the ghost whose only desire was to be a star. And now, he was ready to sacrifice himself for the rest of the Underground.

Impulsively, she threw her arms around his square body, hearing a mechanical chirp of surprise. "Try... Try not to die, okay?" She sniffed. Despite her words, there was no hope in her voice.

Mettaton spoke softly. "I'll try my best darling." His screen flashed with a heart shape. "Now go!"

The human approached the lab entrance and Alphys looked back one last time at her friend who she was almost certainly leaving to his death, trying not to think about those already lost. 

The elevator door slid shut. The lock clicked behind her.

There was no going back.

* * *

The human growled as they stalked through Hotlands. The lab had been abandoned, aside from that infuriating robot, and throughout the region there had only been a scarce few monsters.

How _boring_.

They kicked their foot through a pile of dust, watching it fall through the shimmering air.

Their soul ached.

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! So, I recently got into an Undertale mood, and decided to try writing this thing. I've had the idea for a while, but never tried to write it yet. Bits and pieces about the more game like aspects (hp, souls, magic, etc) have been borrowed from the amazing Casting Rain by Silverskye13. I just finished that and if you haven't read it yet you definitely should.


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